The News From Israel

08.01.13

PA: Investigate Bennett's 'Kill Arabs' Remark

“Yacimovich... has revealed that the security-political discussion—no matter how important—has often served Israel’s governments as a smokescreen to conceal or prevent the discussion of grave social and economic problems."
-- Former Accountant General Yaron Zelekha, a former staunch supporter of the Likud party, explains why he donated money to the Labor party led by Shelly Yachimovich

Israel: Eviction of 1,300 Palestinians necessary to save IDF time, money- State responds to two High Court petitions to stop planned evacuation of eight villages in south Hebron hills saying that the location of the villages in what the IDF declared a firing zone is close to the Nahal Brigade's training base and thus saves the IDF time and money in transporting them. (Haaretz+)

Palestinian Authority urges investigation into Bennett's 'kill Arabs' remarks - The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesdaycalled on Israel to investigate remarks made by Israel's Economy and Trade Minister, which made claims about killing Palestinians. (Maan)

Settlers attack workers, cars in Nablus - 15 settlers from the illegal Yizhar settlement attacked laborers in the village of Asira al-Qibliya. The group of twenty workers was building a water tank near the village. Settlers also tried to destroy the water tank, saying it was too close to their settlement. (Maan)

Video shows Israeli soldier beating Palestinian workers “without mercy”- Maariv reported that IDF soldier Michael Gershkowitz was sentence to 'only' two months for the random and brutal beating of three Palestinian laborers. A security video filmed the incident. Channel 10 News interviewed one of the young man he beat, who lost his teeth and his honor. (Maariv Wednesday, Channel 10 and Partial translation of the report in English)

HRW: PA must investigate police brutality - The Palestinian Authority must order an investigation into allegations of police brutality and the arbitrary arrest of demonstrators at a Ramallah protest (against peace talks) on Sunday, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. (Maan)

Ultra-Orthodox protesters shatter bus windows after female passenger refuses to sit in back - Demonstrators in Beit Shemesh block path of bus and smashed its windshield with a hammer, before moving on to two other buses nearby; police detain two. (Haaretz)

For the first time, an Arab likely to be elected to the Jerusalem City Council - Fuad Suleiman, 52, is in 6th place on the joint Labor-Meretz list for the elections. Papa Allou, who heads the list: "We will fight Barakat and Leon, who are courting the ultra-Orthodox." Suleiman: "I will deal with the discrimination against the sector that is not represented (the Arabs)." (NRG Hebrew)